Long Beach Condos with Garages

Finding a Long Beach condo or townhome with a garage is a popular request, but one that is not easily met. Many of the condos built throughout the city were built with secured parking, but not generally with private garages.

If a garage is a "must have" requirement though, here are some areas and complexes that you can keep a close watch on to find that perfect spot.

• Bixby Knolls - Here you will find a couple of complexes that have garages with condos and townhomes. Along Country Club Dr, 3 of the condo developments have garages and one even has direct access to the unit.
• Orange Villas - Orange Villas is a small complex in Bixby Knolls that also offers garages. The complex is under 20 units in size so you won't often find condos available here, but there are 1 and 2 bedroom models that you can own.
• Country Club Villas - The Country Club Villas have detached garages and provide ample room for your vehicle and some room to store those items you don't want cluttering your home.
  
• Signal Hill - Signal Hill doesn't have just luxury homes with great views, it is also home to some great condo developments. Here you will find condos with great square footage, and of course, some with garages.


• Hillside Pines - The Hillside Pines is a wonderful complex located at 2599 Walnut. Garages here are generally shared, but still provide room for shelving so you can store extra items along with your vehicle.
• Signal Hill Towers - This condo complex is an architectural delight as you get wonderful windows throughout each unit. Being located on 19th you will get some good views and the condos here come with private garage spots.

These are just a few of the examples of condos in Long Beach and Signal Hill that have garages. It's not an easy task, but with a careful eye and some help one can certainly be found. Use our Long Beach MLS to find the condo that has a garage or call us today at 562-989-7111 and we will be happy to help you with your search.

How Mary found her Townhome in Bixby Knolls

Bixby Knolls is a quiet community that has both homes and condos. The condos and townhomes are on a few streets here, but there are 3 developments along Country Club Dr. This somewhat famous street is known mainly for large homes that face the prestigious Virginia Country Club Golf Course.

The condos and townhomes on Country Club Dr are unique among Long Beach in that they provide garages. A very hard to find feature! These developments also have inside laundry so they are generally in high demand.

Now, that you know just a little about the area, it's important to know more about Mary. Mary was referred to us by a past client that had found us from our Long Beach Condo website. Mary is a busy professional who works for a Homeopathic company. Her schedule is pretty demanding, involving traveling to different states, so she needed help in the real estate process. From the immediate point of referral she was a great to contact via e-mail because that is what her scheduled allowed. After a brief exchange we were able to set a time to meet so I could take some time to learn more about her goals.

Here are the highlights of what she was looking for in Long Beach:

• Make her commute easy! - Her work location was going to be moving to Carson so she wanted to find a place from Long Beach that wouldn't take too much time to get to work.
• Great condition - Since she is busy she really would not have time to fix up a place so she desired a place that had already been remodeled.
• Inside Laundry - Although she was flexible on many requirements, she really wanted the place to feel like home so she did not want community laundry.
• Garage - Secured parking could be an option, but optimally she wanted a garage space.
• Configuration - At least 2 bedrooms, and 1 bathroom.
• Budget - Need to get it all done for $350,000, and preferrably accomplish the goal before the end of the year.

We had a great buyers appointment and talked quite a bit more about the property that she envisioned, but these are some of the highlights that me and one of my buyers agents (Demitre) went forward with to help Mary find.

After making sure Mary was prepared with a great first time buyer loan we scheduled a time to go visit some properties. The first time we took her out we viewed condos in locations from Alamitos Beach to Bixby Knolls. We saw some great options, but nothing really fit the bill. We focused our search in the Bixby Knolls area as it has the great potential to meet Mary's goals. After digging through the available inventory we found a few townhome options in the Country Club Villas complex.

One unit in particular stood out. It had been well taken care of and upgraded by the existing owner. The kitchen had been completely redone with new cabinets and granite counter tops. The bathrooms were very well taken care of with new tile flooring and all new sinks and base cabinets. The seller had definitely done some great remodeling over the last 3 years.

Negotiations were tough because we needed help with closing costs and the seller didn't have much equity. All parties involved though understood the situation so after 6 counter offers we did get a price worked out where all could be satisfied! Escrow opened promptly and the escrow went smoothly for the most part as we even got all of the HOA documents to review in a timely manner.

Mary is now a happy Long Beach resident! She was just able to move-in this past weekend as she was busy with business travels.

If you want to start your search, much like Mary did, please call us today at 562-989-7111 and we would be happy to meet with you. If you want to check out some of the available properties in Long Beach, please use our FREE MLS so you can see what is currently available.

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Is it a good time to buy?

Often times we are asked "Is it a good time to buy?". Now you might expect since this blog is focused on information about real estate in Long Beach that the obvious answer to this question would be "Yes" but that is not necessarily the case. The answer is really "It depends". So what does it depend on? Let's cover a few things you might want to think about before you buy. If you don't have the answers to the questions below and need help we are happy to help you or can point you in the right direction if we don't have the answer.

Questions to consider before you buy a property in Long Beach (or anywhere)

• How long am I going to live there? - If you are planning on being around the area you buy (Long Beach or otherwise) for 5 or more years you will more than likely be in a different real estate market by then.
• What is my real goal? - Many people buy real estate as an investment. Others by it so they can have somewhere to live. You need to determine what your goal is.
• Does it benefit me financially to own a home? - In some cases people are paying large tax bills to the government because they don't have anything to put down on their taxes as a deduction. Are you in this group of people? A qualified tax professional can answer this and if you need a CPA (Certified Public Accountant) we can refer you to one.
• Can I afford to buy? - Sometimes buying doesn't cost much more than the place you rent. Only a loan professional can help you with this question and it is more reliable then the online calculators.If you need one we can refer you to one as well.
• Does your rent keep going up every year? - If rent goes up every year it can be a real pain. Many of the mortgages of today are fixed for 30 years. How does rent fixed for 30 years sound?

It is good to have an answer to these questions prior purchasing a home. If you don't have the answers that is exactly why we happy to take the time to meet with you to decide what is most important to you and to help you have the answers to the questions above.

At anytime you can contact us at 562-989-7111, fill out the contact form here at the blog, or visit us at www.LovelyLongBeachHomes.com for more information on homes in the Long Beach area.

Temple Lofts Penthouse Units, down to 3!

If you have been a subscriber here for awhile you have probably seen some of our Long Beach Loft updates here. Loft inventory throughout the city has still been fairly limited in inventory. We have only seen a couple of bank owned Lofts become available and 1 recently (at the Courtyard Lofts) went into escrow.

As far as new Loft construction goes, the Temple Lofts still have a few remaining units (6 currently). Three of the remaining Lofts are actually Penhouses in the Temple itself. There aren't any top floor units left in the towers so this is the last chance to get a top floor unit.

The Penthouses command unique aspects that are not available in the other Lofts throughout the building:

• 2nd bathrooms - Although the larger units had the ability to put in a 2nd bathroom, the builder actually decided to do them for you on the Penthouse units.
• Large Square Footage - You will find some of the largest multi-level plans in the Penthouses. The 2 largest that are left are at 2,620 sq ft and 2,970 sq ft. These large floor plans provide multiple areas to live and work as well as light that pours in throughout the unit.
• Storage - Some of the penthouses actually get a room for storage instead of just a storage locker. It's large and would definitely allow you to store whatever you need.
• Distinct Kitchens - the kitchens at the top get African red granite counter tops and stainless steel cabinets.

So if you have been looking for a large Long Beach Loft, now is your time. With prices on the Penthouse units ranging from $535,000-$775,000 now is your time to get the loft you have been waiting for, for the price you have been wanting. The builder has definitely seemed open minded and has reviewed offers when presented, so we just might get some knocked off the list price if we ask :).

Use our Long Beach MLS and simply search by the address of 835 Locust Ave to see all of the currently available Lofts. If you want a bit more information on them please call us directly at 562-989-7111 and we will be happy to let you know even more about them and even schedule a time for you to view the remaing lofts.

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How many condos are owned by banks?

Are you looking for a deal? Often times we look for real estate deals in a market like this one where banks are now present in the real estate market.

So if you are looking for condos how many of them are owned by banks?

Before we get into that let's look at how many condos there are to choose from in Long Beach let's look at the total condo market. If you want to see what the total REO market is and how many shorts sales are out there we covered that just a few days ago in "How many reos & short sales are in Long Beach".

So there are 551 total condos available for buyers to choose from as of the day of this post.

That is quite a selection to choose from so buyers can look around and see what best fits their budget and what they are looking for. In fact the average condo listed for sale in Long Beach has the following characteristics(according to the MLS)

• 1.8 average bedrooms
• 1.75 bathrooms
• Average price: $378,978

So what does this all mean? It means if you are looking for a 2 bedroom 2 bathroom condo with an ocean view for $200K you aren't going to find it.

There are just 86 condos available for sale that are owned by banks and they represent the smallest portion of the market at 15.6%. Banks are not going to be selling them at giveaway prices although they do price them aggressively to receive multiple offers on them whenever possible.

So if you are looking for a deal on a condo check out the free mls we provide (the bank owned properties are listed in there as well) and see what you can find. If you can't find what you are looking for give us a call at 562-989-7111 or use our contact form to ask any question you would like as we are happy to help on the time frame that works for you.

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Long Beach Condos for sale at Bixby Riviera

Bixby Riviera is a wonderful condo and townhome community near Cal State Long Beach in the area of Bixby Hill. It is tucked away just north of 7th St so many people actually drive right by it. You can't just wonder into the complex as it has a 24 hour gate guard.

With 125 Long Beach condos here you would think you would feel like you are in a "big" complex but it is designed to be like it's own neighborhood. There are extensive streets throughout Bixby Rivieria combined with community areas that have a clubhouse, pool, and spa.

The condos are designed very similar to homes in that the floor plans. 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom condos here will be over 1,400 sq ft, while larger 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom units can be over 1,800 or even over 2,000 sq ft. Taking full advantage of their great location you will get private patios or private balconies. The large model "D" floor plan that is 1,846 sq ft has 2 private balconies with 1 off of the master bedroom.

Some of the highlights of features that these condos in Long Beach have are:

• Fireplaces


• Inside laundry that accomodates side by side washer and dryer


• Secured parking with some having private garages

Being built in 1983 you will find some units that have not been remodeled allowing you to create your own vision. With great room in the kitchens and functional floor plans it will make remodeling fun.

In current market conditions, this development is your chance to get more square footage for less. There often won't be too many choices (usually around 4-8 condos available) so keep a careful watch for the Long Beach condo for sale at Bixby Riviera that is right for you using our FREE Long Beach MLS or our Hot List.

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• Blu Condos and Lofts in Long Beach

Home or Condo? The choice is up to you?

What kind of property were you looking for in Long Beach? Did you want a home or a condo?

Right now you have some choices and it isn't want some people think. As a result of the media and all of the "foreclosure", "REO", & "bad market" talk many people think that in Long Beach there just must must be tons of long beach condos or lots of Long Beach Homes to be had for pennies on the dollar.

Well let's take a look at what is actually available so we can see what we have to choose form.

As the graph at the right illustrates there are still far more homes to choose from than condos. In fact there are almost twice as many homes to choose from as condos.

For those who have noticed that the homes and condos totals don't add up to the total number of active residential properties in Long Beach in the graph that is because some properties are either lofts, OYO(Own your Own), or other ownership forms that are not condo or home.

Looking at it today if you are looking for a condo you still have 546 to choose from that are on the MLS. Keep in mind with condos there are some that are not listed in the MLS as they are only listed by developers on their sites. Many of these developers work with real estate agents and I would recommend contacting your favorite real estate agent first prior to walking in to the developer so you can have someone negotiate for you.

With the homes available in Long Beach there are 926 options. Keep in mind that some areas have very few choices while others have many to choose from. You can always use our free mls to search for homes in the area that you want to be in.

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How many REO's & Short Sales are there in Long Beach?

How is the real estate market in Long Beach? Properties are still being bought and sold for sure but what does the future hold? We are going to try and answer that today or at the very least shed some light on the topic as well.

I will be the first to say that I cannot predict the future but by looking at the data we can most certainly see where the market may be headed at least by property type and what kind of inventory may be headed our way shortly.

So what does the market look like today? The graph on the left shows what is available as of today in Long Beach.

We have 1,530 total properties available for sale on the MLS. This does not include all of the new construction available in Long Beach as not all builders put every piece of their inventory for sale.

235 REO's are available. This number is up slightly from the 223 that we wrote about just a few days ago.

419 properties are listed as short sale properties. These are properties that have been identified by the owners or the agents as owing more than what the current property is worth to the bank. Some owners may make up the difference themselves but the most likely scenario is they will need approval from the bank prior to completing a sale. They are looking for the bank to take the loss.

So what does all of this mean? That is the real question we are trying to answer and the reason we bring up short sales is that when they fail they end up coming back onto the market as REO properties.

• Currently REO properties make up 15.35% of the market
• Short sale properties make up 27.3% of the market

Last year we saw very high approval rates by banks on short sales. Approvals were in the 80% range and up. This year we have seen that number fall dramatically. Many banks have chosen to take properties into foreclosure rather than work with clients on short sales.

If the short sales don't get approved we could see an REO market that is 42.7% of the Long Beach market. This would mean banks would represent nearly the majority of properties in the area.

The number 1 question we get after providing this information is "Does that mean I should wait to buy or sale?". The answer to that question is "It depends". Every situation is unique and rates have been moving up which means even if prices fall you would be paying more on a monthly basis for the same home.

Also keep in mind that many bank owned properties receive multiple offers and finish 10's of thousands above their actual starting price.

Keep tabs on the market and your possible next home by looking at our FREE MLS.

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City Place Lofts, the Final 9

City Place Lofts has been selling their lofts in Downtown Long Beach for about 2 years now. With 54 lofts available, they are now down to their final 9 units. There are some great benefits to buyers for these last 9 properties.

• Pricing - The prices have been drastically lowered from the originaly offered prices. You can now get a townhome style loft that is over 1,700 sq ft for under $480,000! These properties were originally sold for over $600,000.
• Flooring - The builder didn't finish flooring in some of the units so the last buyers get their choice. Since flooring needs to be in the unit to comply with most loans you can choose some flooring that meets your goals and not have to worry about upgrading later.
• Closets - Lofts traditionally don't have much storage space allowing you to be free to create your space. At the City Place lofts there is a 1bedroom, 1 bathroom unit that is 1,092 sq ft that has custom closets put in with frosted glass that looks great and does't take up your space.
• You Never know unless you Ask - With just 9 units left, the builder does want them off the books. Their last price reduction was over 10% so there probably isn't much room left, but ask for the upgrades you want and you just may get it.

It's sometimes tough to get an idea of what the properties look like just from pictures, so check out some of the videos we have put up to help you get a better idea of what to expect. There are a few different floor plans so we will be taking more videos for everyone to see. Check them out at our City Place Lofts Video Page or subscribe to our YouTube Channel for more Long Beach real estate videos.

If you want to see the full detail of the latest City Place Lofts use our Free Long Beach MLS (you can search by the address of 395 E. 4th St) or just fill out our Hot List and we will do it for you :) .

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What is the REO Market like for October in Long Beach?

What does the reo market look like in Long Beach? Well surprisingly it isn't 50%, 60% or more of the market.

In many areas of this fine country REO(real estate owned or bank owned) properties dominate the market and are the vast majority of the market.

In Long Beach 14.57% of the market is REO or bank owned properties. Out of the 315 new properties that were listed for sale in September 65 of those were bank owned properties. So even of the new listings that are coming on the market 20.6% of the market is bank owned.

What does all of this really mean?

Well it means that the world is not coming to a crash and banks aren't begging for offers on their properties. In many cases REO properties have 1 or more offers within 72 hours of appearing on the MLS. This is for a variety of reasons. Many consumers feel that they can get a deal on a bank owned property. This may or may not be true depending on the property. Are banks selling things for 50 cents on the dollar? They are not from what they are listing it at. Are they from what they once were owed on the property? In some cases yes properties that had loan amounts of $500,000 are selling close to $300,000. Truth be told many of these properties should not have had loans at those prices.

How do you get to see where the REO properties are located?

The great part about bank owned properties is they are generally listed on the MLS. That means you can see them all in our FREE MLS system. You can see what is available and what is going on in your neck of the woods or where you want to be. There are some areas that have few to no REO properties so keep that in mind. If you can't find what you are looking for let us know via the contact form or call us at 562-989-7111 and we will be happy to help you.

Long Beach Statistics for September

What happened in Long Beach September? Well it really wasn't as bad as people had predicted and in the end looks like a pretty good month.

Let's let the data tell the story and do some analysis and see what is going on.

New Owners

204 new owners are now in the city of Long Beach. These are both condos and homes included in this figure.

New Sellers

At the same time that 204 new people were purchasing properties 315 new sellers entereted the market. That is just over 10 new properties were listed in Long Beach each day of the month. There are still sellers who want to sell, need to sell, and are ready to tackle the real estate market.

Sellers that Didn't Quite Finish

Expired listings are homes that didn't find buyers for various reasons. Sometimes sellers didn't want to accept offers at a certain price and other times the reason or motivation to sell changed. Either way expired listings are ones that have left the market and are not available for sale. 115 sellers made this choice in Long Beach.

So if you look at the fact that 115 sellers expired and 204 were removed from the market via closed sales that is 319 properties removed from the market or a net loss of about 4 units. So the market is still active and buyers are still buying properties.

What does it all really mean?

Even with all of the stock market news, home selling news, & the "financial crisis" that is occurring people are still buying and selling properties. It really comes down to is it the "right" time for you. Only you can make that decision just make sure you have all the information you need to make a decision.

Do you want to know more? Search here at the blog for more articles and information or sign-up for our FREE MLS and see what is available in a neighborhood you want.

Bluff Heights - It didn't go as planned, but she did get her condo

One of my favorite shows as a child was the A-Team. This group of former special forces members achieved the impossible with the goal of helping someone in need. The leader of the A-Team, Hannibal Smith, lead the group to continued success. Upon achieving success, he would frequently state "I love it when a plan comes together".

We too love it when a plans comes together for our clients. Sometimes, much like the A-Team, we encounter obstacles that cause us to alter our plan, but in the end the goal is achieved by helping someone achieve their goal of purchasing a home or condo.


A client that we just handed her keys to her Long Beach Condo in Bluff Heights was one that experienced some obstacles.

Courtney is a new doctor who is doing her residency. She must commute to 2 different hospitals, one here in Long Beach and the other in Irvine. Her father, Greg, contacted us originally through our Long Beach Condo website and said he would like to help her get a affordable condo that would keep her close to work as she would be spending a great number of hours there.

The requirements seemed straight forward enough:

• Minimum 1 bedroom, 1 bathroom


• Great neighborhood


• Under $260,000


• Great condition because there wouldn't be time to make any upgrades

After our initial consultation, we were able to take Greg out to see some of the options that were near the beach. The property that he fell in love with was located in Bluff Heights. It was absolutely gorgeous with gleaming wood floors, a brand new kitchen, brand new bathroom, and just a block to the beach. Better yet, the price of the condo was just $248,000!

Everything seemed to be going right, the only problem was that by the time we wrote the offer, they had already accepted another buyers offer. Fairly devastated at the loss we continued the search for another condo that would be a great fit. We helped them to be choosy and as Greg is from Hawaii we did a great deal of leg work before showing additional options to Courtney. We just couldn't find the right fit for her no matter where we looked.

We really wanted Courtney to be happy so we actually kept in touch with the listing agent for the condo in Bluff Heights. After 60 days the other buyer actually couldn't finish the purchase. With a good relationship in place, the listing agent gave us the opportunity to purchase without putting it back on the market! Just a short time later and Courtney got the condo she really wanted.

So the plan of finding a condo quickly for her residency didn't go as planned, but in the end she was happy and that really is the best part of the plan!

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Find your Long Beach Condo for Sale, 3 Easy Steps

Finding a Long Beach condo for sale should be a fun process. Now, I do mention process, because I think many approach the aspect of purchasing real estate like changing apartments. It can be that easy, but it takes a little preparation.

Regardless of market conditions there are some steps that you should take in order to make your journey for a Long Beach condo one that has happy memories about the journey as well as the happy day when you get handed your keys.

Steps to find your Long Beach condo:

1. Online Research - Ok, we figured you might already be doing this, but it really is a great way to learn about the differet complexes available throughout Long Beach. There are a few websites here in Long Beach that take the time to give you information about the market and the inventory. We have put together a page on our condo website dedicated to Long Beach HOA information so you can even learn about individual complexes in more detail.
2. Learn about Loans - It is much more fun to look for property then to think about paying for it, but unless you are purchasing with cash, using a loan will be part of the process. Interview a couple of lenders and ask them questions about the different loan programs that are available (FHA, CalHFA, etc.) and make sure they take the time to explain about impounds, fees, etc. Optimallly you will speak with a mortgage broker and a direct lender so you can learn some of the differences.
3. Contact an Long Beach Agent - Of course we would be to help you with your goals, but really there are many great agents throughout Long Beach. You can learn more about agents through their websites, blogs, and even by visiting open houses. Having an agent for your purchase of a Long Beach condo is like having an attorney when you walk in to court, but you don't have to pay for the attorney :). Find the agent that is the best fit for you because that makes the process more enjoyable.

Just taking the 3 simple steps above will put you in the right direction. Remember the Long Beach real estate agents and lenders are designed to HELP you with the process, so definitely allow them to help. Ask questions, ask them to explain the process, so you can know what to expect.

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Downtown Long Beach Business Association gives you the Inside Info

Downtown Long Beach has been one of the fastest growing neighborhoods within the city. Everything from retail, dining, commercial, and residential has been developed and still continues to be developed.

On top of all of this development is the Downtown Long Beach Associates. This non-profit organization, founded in 1937, has a great deal of influence of what is going on Downtown. Their website is a great one to bookmark because they keep tabs on the many different projects that occur. Here are some highlights from their website:

• Interactive Parking Map - Find the closest parking areas downtown so you don't have to wander too far. The even provide the rates of the parking.
• Business - Check out the activity of what is being developed from commercial locations to residential. Scroll to the bottom of the page and see the Downtown Map so you can track what is going on from the West Gateway to the East Village Arts District.
• Real Estate - This section of their website gives a great break down of office and retail space available in the different areas of downtown. If you were looking to lease office space downtown it's a great way to get familiar with what current rates are.

Spending some time around their website is a great way to get familiar with what's going on. Then you can always check out our Free Long Beach MLS search so you can find the condos, Lofts, and homes that are near the hottest growth!

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Kress Lofts in Long Beach

When you are searching for Lofts in Long Beach, the Kress building should most certainly be on your list of projects to review. It is located just 1 block from the Walker Building and has a great location near Pine Ave.

The Kress Lofts have a very different feel from their nearby neighbor,the Walker. The building that was adapted for these Lofts was the Kress Department Store which had a great deal of brick that was used in it's construction. The brick brings a warm feeling to the units and provides a great contrast with the flooring that is often concrete or wood.

Large windows that face 5th St or Pine allow for some wonderful light to pour into the units as well as allowing the cool beach breeze in. Not all units here are equipped with air-conditioning so keep on the look out for A/C if that is a high priority.

Floor plans here are generally well sized ranging in size from about 1,000 sq ft to over, 1,600 sq ft.

Related Posts and Information:

• Walker Lofts
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